The Power of Positive Psychology in Education

The benefits and esteem boosting properties of positive psychology and the power of positive reinforcement has been discussed in relation to almost every aspect of life: our relationships, our careers, our aspirations. We know that the earlier we begin to positively reinforce these aspects of our life, the better; we also know that this has a flow-on effect which can impact our decisions and motivations for the future.

As a result, it seems like a “no-brainer” that imparting lessons of positive psychology should be an integral part of our education system on a global scale. The flow-on effect from the positive reinforcement of desirable attributes from a young age (motivation, perseverance, resilience, personal development) would evidently lead to an increase in self-motivation for goal setting and higher education pathways in students’ futures.

Particularly in the wake of Australian Curriculum developments and increasing expectations from High School and University entrance examinations, it would seem as if funding would be well spent on programs and events which foster the intuitive ability to turn potentially unhealthy expectation into motivation. Programs such as the Positive Psychology in Education Symposium last hosted in Sydney in 2011 attracts many renowned speakers who boast the benefits from having these concepts embedded within our curriculum from a young grade. Dan Haesler (a fantastic Australian Educator who can be found here), spoke at the symposium on the ability of positive psychology to prevent depression in school aged students - watch his video here.

When you have a second, have a read up on the benefits of positive psychology in education from a young age and discuss the ways we can create something tangible from the ideas.